Chance for Man United fans to own one-off Stadium For Ants

MANCHESTER United fans have the chance to get their hands on a special one-of-a-kind piece and boast they have an entire stadium in their living room!

Architect and sports enthusiast David Resnik is creating a “Stadium For Ants” of Old Trafford – complete with centre tunnel and even an illuminated “Manchester United” sign atop the roofline.

The real Theatre Of Dreams is said to be the largest club football stadium in the UK, and the 11th largest in Europe. Ironic then that David, who is currently putting the final touches to the piece, has shrunk the building to 1:1500 scale to create the smaller replica.

And one lucky fan will get to own the piece for a minimum donation of £10 as David will be raffling off the stadium to raise funds for Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital Charity.

David, who lives 3,600 miles west of Old Trafford in Cleveland, Ohio, said: “I am a huge sports fan and when I lived in the UK a few years ago, I went to see a few matches at Old Trafford and realised for myself what hallowed ground it is.

“It’s a ground that holds a lot of memories and a place many people hold in high esteem – so part of what I do was about thinking how I recreate that in miniature form.

“Whoever wins the raffle will be owning something very unique and one-of-a-kind. It would be a real collector’s item for someone who is a true Manchester United fan.”

David has been labouring for 10 hours a day for several weeks to complete his masterpiece, which he estimates will have taken 280 hours of work once it’s finished.

In order to achieve such minute attention to detail, he uses a mixture of fan photographs, Google maps and images, online archive footage and Photoshop to create a mixture of 3D-printed components and laser-cut components made from various materials.

As with any other building, the work starts from the bottom up, building vertically with the roof going on last.

Once finished, it will be housed in a protective case for shipping to anywhere in the world and can be wall mounted or displayed on a flat surface.

The State-side Red is a self-confessed “huge sports fan” and this isn’t the first miniature stadium he has created.

He said: “When I was about 14 I was given a ceramic model stadium from the Cleveland Indians team gift shop and I thought I’d have a go at doing one myself. I made a model out of cardboard with colouring pencils but then I didn’t really take it up as a hobby.

“I rediscovered my passion a lot later on and I enrolled in Kent State University’s architecture program in 2016.

“I’ve now got back into the models, but the techniques have definitely improved since I first started.”

He has since gone on to create many miniature stadiums from across America and further afield. His latest project before starting on Old Trafford was Johan Cruijff ArenA in Amsterdam.

David is now putting the final touches to the Old Trafford Stadium For Ants and eager fans will have until Saturday, 29th August to enter. Entrants can live anywhere in the world, as David has agreed to post it to any address.

The great news is that everyone who enters the raffle will be making a donation to Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital Charity.

Jo Thomas, one of the Charity’s Community Fundraising Officers, said: “David’s work looks incredible – I’m only sad I won’t get to the see the final stadium up close for myself.

“This is a really special piece and I’m sure lots of Manchester United fans would love to get their hands on the miniature stadium. They not only stand a chance of winning a one-off, unique prize but also know that by entering they are donating to a wonderful cause supporting the NHS in Manchester.”

Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital Charity fundraises throughout the year to support the treatment, research and care of young patients treated at children’s hospital in Oxford Road, Manchester. The hospital sees more than 276,000 patients per year.

To make a donation and be in with a chance of winning the miniature Old Trafford stadium, visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/minioldtrafford For more details about the Charity visit www.rmchcharity.org.uk or follow RMCH Charity on social media.